Vehicle unloading unit



Sept. 9, 1952 'A. P. BALZER ET AL ,5

VEHICLE UNLOADING UNIT Filed Oct. 1 8, 1943 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 9, 1952 Filed Oct. 18, '1948 A. P. BALZER ETAL 2,609,952 VEHICLE. UNLOADING UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 9, 1952 VEHICLE UNLOADING UNIT Abram P. Balzer and John A. Stoesz, Mountain Lake, Minn.

Application October 18, 1948, Serial No. 55,036

1 Claim. 1

Our invention relates generally to mechanisms for unloading material from wagon boxes and, more specifically, to an unloading unit capable of being applied to any wagon or analogous vehicle having a wheel-mounted chassis and a material-carrying box removably secured thereto as an entirety.

The primary object of our invention is the provision of an unloading device which is largely self-contained and which may be attached to a wagon without the use of special tools or without requiring rebuilding of the wagon.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an unloading device as set forth having a conveyor adapted to be driven from the power take-off of a tractor or like vehicle to which the wagon may be coupled.

Stillanother object of our invention is the provision of an unloading device as set forth having means thereon for preventing longitudinal and lateral movements thereof with respect to the wheel-carried chassis upon which said unloading unit may be mounted.

Still another object of our invention is the provision of an unloading device as set forth, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, and durable in use.

Still'other highly important objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claim, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts through the several views: i

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective, as seen from the rear and left hand side, of a wheel-mounted chassis having our novel unloading unit supported thereon;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective as seen from the rear and right hand sides of the structure of Fig. 1 with a wagon box mounted onthe unloading unit;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, as seen from the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig.5 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Our invention provides an unloading unit which is particularly adapted for use on farm wagons and the like, which comprises wheelmounted chassis having removable materialcarrying wagon boxes mounted thereon. A

(CI. M L-83.36)

2 wagon chassis of this type is usually adapted to support interchangeably a box for carrying materials, a flat platform, or a tank aswhen spray ing growing plants and the like.

indicated, the unloading device is intended for use with a wagon box, whereby the contents thereof, such as granular material, ears of corn, or any bulk material, may be quickly discharged from the box. A wagon of this type is i1lustrated in the drawings as comprising a wheelmounted chassis, indicated in its entirety by the numeral I, and a wagon box 2. The chassis l is of conventional design having a rear axle-supporting beam 3 and a front axle 4 rigidly connected by an X-frame 5. Tire-equipped rear wheels 6 are journalled to axles I of the rear beam 3 and similar tire-equipped front wheels 8 are secured to the front axle 4 in a conventional manner so as to permit steering movements of the front wheels 8 with respect to the axle 4. A

front beam 9 is secured to the intermediate portion of the axle 4 by means of a nut-equipped.

bolt in (see Fig. 1). The beams 3 and 9 are provided, adjacent their opposite ends, with upstanding cross-sectionally channel-shaped wagon boxretaining elements II. The elements H are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the beams 3 and 9 and are provided with upstanding tongues l2 to which the wagonbox 2 is bolted.

The wagon box 2 comprises longitudinally-extending side walls [3, front and rear end walls l4 and I5 respectively, and a bottom l6. The end walls l4 and I5 are provided with sliding gates I! which are slidably movable in guides l8. Sliding movements may be imparted to the gates I! by means of conventional hand levers l9, one of which is shown (see Fig. 2). The wagon box 2 is braced at its intermediate portionby generally vertical brace members and horizontal beams allel side frame members 24 connected at their extreme front ends by a transverse frame member 25 and intermediate their ends by longitudinally-spaced transverse wagon box-sup orting members 26. Side frame members 24 and front frame member 25 are preferably made from structural angle iron, whereas the wagon boxsupporting members are cross-sectionally chan nel-shaped; and the entire frame is welded together to form a relatively strong rigid structure. It will be noted that the wagon box-supporting members 26 rest upon and are-secured to the However, as a tween opposite ends of the beams 26 and said elements ll, whereby to prevent lateraLmovements-v of the frame 22 with respect to the chassis I. We provide spaced pins 2'! welded or otherwise se-- cured to each of the side frame members 24 in longitudinally-spaced parallel relationship.- Pins.

21 are located adjacent opposite ends of the rear beam 26 and extend downwardly below the bot tom level of the frame 22, whereby to lie one each :.on. either: side-:of? the axle-supporting beam 3 (see Figs; lr,,2; andl3). The:pins:2-'l'are1spaced: apart; sufficiently :to-' freely permit the: reception of; the-rearaxle-supporting beam 3 'therebetween butilimitelongitudinal-movements=of the frame 22- withlrespectto the-chassis-l. In-the eventthat the; beam 31- is. very; narrow, suitable v wedges or Shims; not; shown; may be; applied therebetween andlthe -pins;.21.

Asrotaryshaft 28. extends; transverselyof the frame; 22-: adjacenttits"rearend and; isjournalled: at lone;endfinsalbearingfi fi :bolted orptherwise, se-

cured toronepf'the sideframe-members 24; asindicated:atl A-tsits Opposite end, the shaft 28;is

journalledwinzaagearlbox 3 l which is bolted to the;

oppositejside;frame;member2.'4 asat- 321 A pairof laterally-spaced sprocket. wheels; 33:: are; rigidly securerhtmthe shaft:23;,one-each: adjacent/one of the sidefram'e; members 24;.andiare adapted; to;

drive; the: endless: conveyor} 23, which conveyor" comprises; azpair: ofdaterally-spaced flexible linlr' chains; 35 and longitudinally-spaced; transverse connecting; flights 935;, The flights.-3L6arez welded. or: otherwise; secured; ate their opposite ends; to linkswof; the; chain- 315 i andrare :lmshaped: in: cross The, spaced,

section. (see: particularly Fig. 5."); chains; 3.5; have: meshing; engagement one each withzoneof :thespro CKBlJSB 3 At the:- front: end: ofz the. frame: 22; is. a transe verseshaft 3:1; Journalledon; theishaft, 37: are spaced:;idler: rollers; 38 over; which i the conveyor:

23jis adapteditozrun. 'Ifheshaft 311s supported:

atiitszopposite ends lmstudzboltsi39 which extend: longitudinally rearWardly-oh the front end'Kof-ithe frame. 22 through: 3E..p8;i1'; of; upstandingsjlugs: 4d

weldedzor;otherwiselsecuredrat;the:front cornergof 1 thezframeyfiz sAsseen', particularly withjreferencexto Fig. vBathe: stud iboltszzpass :through capertures :in ,=.the;-opposite -ends. ofxzthe shaft ,3] 3 and are equipped at their outer threaded:ends with wash? er equipped nuts-.41: Interposed-zbetween:theend portionsiofc thexshaft: 3 1 tandzthe :washersequipped i nutsi'4il: are: coil; compression; springs: Q21 which. bias: the: shafts: 3.? toward the; front. endof; the

frame:22:.

Rotary rhov'ementtisz. impartedlto; the: shaft 2%: byaconnections-nowvtozbe described; Astubshaft' 43IiSijOl1II12l11Bd'jll1 .a::bearing;bracl et M; which: is.

pivotallyrmountech-to: the front frame memberr 25:2

A? washereeqnipped: locking: boltz46 passe-sizthroughxan' arcuat'egslot '4'! in"; the bearin zbra'cket; 44 andgthrough thezfront zframez as in'dicatew at 45:-

member:2 5 and:is.,=pro.v idedrwithzaz nut 48, wheree by;the;b r.acket-= 44-may-;,be clamped-many desired position on-zthe front frame member 2 5'2, Thezstub;

shaft 43 is adapted to be coupled to the power take-off of a tractor or other vehicle not shown which may be used to pull the wagon. A flexible belt 49, preferably of the V-type, runs over one of a pair of V-grooved pulleys 50 fast on the stub shaft 43 and over the corresponding one of another pair of v-grooved pulleys 5| fast on a shaft 52. The shaft 52 extends longitudinally of the frame. 22 in. laterally outwardly-spaced relation thereto and is journalled'at' its front end'portion in a bearing 53 secured to an angularly-disposed arm 54 fast on one of the side frame members 24. Shaft-521s journalled in and supported intermediate its ends by a bearing 55 fast on an angularlyedisposed supporting arm 56 rigidly secured by Welding'or the like to the intermediate portion of, saidone of said side frame members 24. Re-

ferring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the rear end of theshaft 52 is axially aligned with another shaft 57 which is journalled in the gear box 3| and-which 'is-rprovided with a .3" aw clutch element 582- A mating jaw-clutchelementfifil isjournalled:

ongthe-outer end of shaft .52 andrmounted lfonslids ing. movements: by meansofpinand?slot:connec 1 tions; till?- to; the'rearendof shaft 5'2.

clutch element: 59 is-provided with 1a: peripheral, channel 63! which receives a shifter fOI'k-B'Zr, The shifter fork G Z-is'carried "by a-slide rod .63 sl idably mounteddn brackets 64' on the .top of the gear box; 3h A shifter handle 6-5 issecured: to:the;'shifter1 rod' faflrfor rotary movementsthereabout-ibut slid able therewith andris adaptedlobe-manipulated;

inter and" out of a" channelformedby; a-paira-of arc'uate stop members 66 for: manually moving;

' the shifter fork iiZ andi-jaw-elutch member .59;:ax--- ially of the -shafts-52 and. 61; whereby-gtocouple-or.

uncouple shafts 5-1 and 5-2 -I for, common-rotarymovement. Shaft 5-:Tis operatively; conneetedrto transverse shaft 2 &-- through gears =not s-hown but.

contained within the gear box 3l= When our unloadingrunit is to. be installedrina wagon, wagon box- 2-is removedfrom the chassis I and the unloading unitis then laidoverthe-beams 3- and 9 between: the: wagonbox-retainin elements. H: and with opposite; pairs of pins=:2.1; straddling; the: beam- 3; The-- conveyor: 23; which is provided with suitable means fort-disconnection: is then placedvinthe condition illustrated "in Fig.

lt-with the chains .3 5: of;the lowerrunrthereof resting upon the horizontally-disposed:portions of the: side frame members-24; The-wagon box 2 iszthen placed. in position" on thezsupportinggmembersziifi andlbolted-to the upstanding tongues l2; 0.12120? site ends of the conveyor 23 are then fed through the: gate openings at oppositeends-of: the wagon box: 2 :and rcoupledittlgether within thejwagon boxs The sprocket wheels 33 and idlerrrolle'rsr3B are-.of

such a diameter and the elevatiomthereof I with respect to; the; frameq22-is1such that thealolwera'or return-run'ofz the;conveyon23 passes;between the: bottomrlevehof the frame 22 andtthe wagon box-:--- supporting members 26 and the upper or delivery-1 the wagon box-2. Iti'Will be observed-that, when:

opposite ends of the conveyor 235are tobecoww pled together, the nuts24l are-loosenedon the stud bolt 39 to provide suificientslackinthemhainslfi to allow the-ends thereof-to :be-easily? connected.

Thereafter-, -thenuts: 4i; are.- tightened against the springs 42 until proper tensioniszwplacedlon;

the conveyor 23;

The? j awi Then, when it is desired to unload material from the wagon box 2, it is but necessary to raise the gates I! at the front end of the wagon box 2 sufficiently to allow the flights 36 to pass thereunder. The gate ll at the rear of the wagon box 2 may be opened as much as is necessary to allow free passage of the material therebetween and the bottom I6. The shaft 28 is then caused to rotate in a direction to move the upper or delivery run of the conveyor 23 from the front toward the back of the wagon'box 2. With this arrangement, We have found that a wagon load of material may be quickly and easily displaced from the wagon box 2, thereby effecting a substantial savings in time and manual effort.

The speed at which the conveyor 23 operates is determined by the disposition of the V-belt 49 on the pulleys 50 and 5|. As illustrated in Figs. l and 4, belt 49 runs over the large pulley 50 and the small pulley 5| so as to drive the conveyor 23 at a relatively high speed. For driving the conveyor 23 at a relatively low speed, the belt 49 will be positioned to run over the smaller pulley 50 and the large pulley 51. Tension on the belt 49 is maintained by adjustment of the bracket 44 about the axis of the pivot bolt 45.

Our invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be adequate for the accomplishment of the objects set forth; and, while we have shown a preferred embodiment of our device, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claim.

What we claim is:

In a device of the class described, a unitary structure comprising a rectangular frame adapted to rest upon and be supported by the transverse front and rear axle-supporting beams of a wheel-supported chassis, a pair of longitudinallyspaced transverse wagon box-supporting members secured to said frame intermediate the ends thereof, said members being located above'the level of the bottom of said frame, a rotary driving shaft extending transversely of said frame at one end portion thereof, an idler shaft extending transversely of said frame at the opposite portion thereof, an endles conveyor running over said shafts and driven by said driving shaft, said conveyor having delivery and return runs one of which passes over said supporting members and the other of which passes between said supporting members and the bottom of said frame, and means for preventing longitudinal movement of said frame with respect to said chassis and a wagon box supported on said mem-' bers, said means including longitudinally-spaced cooperating pairs of stop elements adapted to straddle said beams, upstanding tongues associated with opposite ends of said members and adapted to be secured to said wagon box and abutments on opposite sides of said frame permitting vertical movements of said depending stop elements therebetween but limiting movements thereof longitudinally of said frame.

ABRAM P. BALZER.

JOHN A. STOESZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thefile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,081,697 Renney et al Dec. 18, 1913 1,403,307 Fisher Jan. 10, 1922 2,345,328 Conway et a1 Mar. 28, 1944 2,434,718 Becker Jan. 20, 1948 2,462,404 Kahres et a1. Feb. 22, 1949 2,478,583 Hybbert Aug. 9, 1949 2,496,305 Ortmeier Feb. 7, 1950 

